71 killed in Nigeria cholera outbreak

At least 71 people have died of cholera in Nigeria's Kano state, an official said.

Abdulsalam Nasidi, project director of Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control, said Friday that 2,165 cases had been recorded in the affected areas in the past two months, Xinhua reported.

The government has sent a team with drugs to the state to help control the spread of the disease and to combat the outbreak.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea, which can lead to serious dehydration and prove fatal if not properly treated.

Nigeria has suffered several epidemics such as cholera, measles and meningitis over the years.